Noobz (2013)

Number Rolled: 99

Movie Name/Year: Noobz (2013)

Genre: Comedy

Length: 100 minutes

Rating: R

Director: Blake Freeman

Writer: Blake Freeman, Marvin Wilson

Actors: Blake Freeman, Moises Arias, Jason Mewes, Casper Van Dien, Jon Gries, Lin Shaye, Carly Craig, Sabrina Carpenter, Mindy Sterling, Richard Speight Jr., Matt Shively, Zelda Williams, Bill Bellamy, Rick Overton, Adam Sessler, Chenese Lewis, Pride Grinn, Paul J. Ballin, Fabian Alomar,

Cody, Andy, Oliver and Hollywood make up the Reign Clan, which is one of the top four groups in Gears of War 3. As such hardcore gamers tend to do, they enter a competition. Traveling by car, they collect the members of their team and head to Los Angeles as a kind of road trip. Along the way they learn one of their team is not who he says he was, hook up with an arcade champion (Greg Lipstein), and get into a bit of trouble.

If I hadn’t just seen “This is the End” I would have said I hadn’t laughed this hard since “Clerks.” “Noobz” is a brilliant, and hilarious, movie that takes a look at the lives of modern gamers, and arcade gamers, looking to compete in the modern gaming community. The movie doesn’t pull any punches and we get to see the lifestyle as it actually is; filled with true hardcore gamers, twelve year olds that are way too good at smack-talk, people who lie about themselves on the internet and the general misogyny that surrounds the gaming community. The tongue-in-cheek humor is woven throughout almost every line of the script and nods are given to some well known movies and games. I started laughing about a minute in and it didn’t die down until the credits started rolling. Of course, then they played some bloopers and I just wound up laughing some more.

From the perspective of a gamer that acknowledges the bad parts of the lifestyle as much as the good, I absolutely love this movie. I just finished watching it and I’m seriously contemplating starting it over again. I would, too, if I hadn’t agreed to meet a friend on DC Universe Online.

Critics trashed this movie. I’d say I don’t get it, but I do. At least, I’m starting to. I see a pattern with these people. Any movie that has the nerve to laugh at itself and its subject or that just generally takes a light-hearted stance, instead of a serious one, gets trashed. It’s stupid. It’s like everything’s got to make you cry or it wasn’t worth making. You know what I say? Fuck that and fuck them. Critics be damned, I’m calling it now – this movie is going cult.

Blake Freeman is a genius and I never would have guessed this was his first time directing, producing or writing a full length film. This wasn’t even just amazing for a first time, it was amazing over all.

Overall Opinion – 5/5